1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a conveying operation method and a conveying operation device for conveying a workpiece and performing a predetermined operation on the workpiece.
2. Description of the Related Art
As disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. Sho 61-146690, a conveying operation device has been known in which a workpiece is held on a carrier and conveyed, a movable stand provided along a conveying path of the carrier and having operation means such as a robot mounted thereon is moved in synchronization with the carrier, and a predetermined operation is performed on the workpiece under conveyance. In this device, a pair of movable stands are provided on opposite sides of the conveying path of the carrier, and while the movable stands are moved in synchronization with the carrier, receiving devices provided in the movable stands receive and support on the opposite sides of the workpiece, and after completion of the operation by each operation means, the workpiece is returned to the carrier and conveyed.
Generally, such a conveying operation device is provided in each of a plurality of operation areas provided along a conveying path of a carrier in a production line of a workpiece. Thus, operation means provided in each operation area performs a predetermined operation on a workpiece conveyed by the carrier and passing through each operation area.
In the conveying operation device, however, in the case where the operation on the workpiece by the operation means is on the way when the carrier stops while conveying the workpiece, the operation on the workpiece by the operation means is suspended until the conveyance by the carrier is restarted. Thus, the operation is suspended in each operation area in the production line of the workpiece, thereby significantly reducing production efficiency.
In the conveying operation device, only in the case where a normal operation is performed on the workpiece by the operation means such as the robot, the workpiece can be moved along the conveying path and the operation can be efficiency performed, but the workpiece cannot be moved from a position on the conveying path of the carrier to a different position because the workpiece is supported by the pair of movable stands during synchronization movement, and an operation different from the normal operation, such as a teaching operation or an operation test of the operation means such as the robot, has to be performed with the workpiece being placed on the conveying path. Thus, while the operation different from the normal operation is performed on the workpiece, for example, the normal operation cannot be continued even manually by feeding a different workpiece onto the operation area of the operation means, and thus the normal operation in the operation area by the operation means is stopped to reduce production efficiency.
The present invention is achieved in view of such inconvenience, and has an object to provide a conveying operation method and a conveying operation device that can continue an accurate operation on a workpiece to prevent a reduction in production efficiency even if conveyance of the workpiece is stopped during an operation on the workpiece by the operation means, and further can obtain as high production efficiency as in the case of a normal operation even in the case of an operation different from the normal operation.